Having sold my house in Fenham last February yet the purchaser is telephoning daily complaining that their solicitor is waiting to hear from mine. What should have happened following completion?

After completion of your house sale your solicitor should forward the transfer documentation and all additional paperwork to the buyer’s lawyers. Where relevant, your conveyancer must also confirm that the legal charge in favour of the lender has been repaid to the purchasers solicitors. There is unlikely to be post completion steps peculiar conveyancing in Fenham.

Is there a list of Virgin Money panel solicitors in Fenham on the Council of Mortgage Lender’s Website?

Unfortunately not yet. There is no such facility on the CML or Building Society Association sites. A small selection of mortgage companies make their panel listings open the public online. If you are looking for a Fenham lawyer on the Virgin Money please make the most of our facility.

It is unclear whether my mortgage offer obliges me to make sure the lease term for the flat is extended prior to the completion date. I have called into my local Fenham bank branch on various occasions and was told it wasn't an issue and they will lend. My Fenham conveyancing solicitor - who is on the lender conveyancing panel- called to say that they will not lend in accordance with their specific requirements. Who do I believe?

As long as the property lawyer is on the mortgage company approved list, they must adhere to the CML Handbook provisions for the bank. Unless your lawyer obtains specific confirmation in writing that the mortgage company will go ahead, your lawyer has no choice but to refrain from exchanging contract and committing you to the purchase. We would suggest that you ask the mortgage company to contact your lawyer in writing confirming that they will accept the number of years remaining.

I had an offer accepted on a house in Fenham on 15/10/2025, valuation was booked 3 days after, all came back fine. Property lawyer appointed, so all that was missing was my mortgage offer. Having made daily calls to Leeds Building Society and chasing them on my offer, I have now been told that my offer will not be issued unless the lawyer is on the Leeds Building Society conveyancing panel. Are Leeds Building Society entitled to hold back the Mortgage pending the lawyer being on the approved list?

Mortgage companies tend not to not issue an offer until they have details of a lawyer on their panel. It can take a few weeks for Leeds Building Society to deal with your lawyer's application to be on the Leeds Building Society conveyancing panel. There's no guarantee that your solicitor will be accepted.

Due to the encouragement of my in-laws I had a survey completed on a house in Fenham prior to instructing lawyers. I have been informed that there is a flying freehold overhang to the house. My surveyor has said that some banks tend refuse to issue a mortgage on a flying freehold house.

It varies from the lender to lender. Santander has different requirements for example to Birmingham Midshires. If you e-mail us we can check with the appropriate bank. If you lender is happy to lend one our lawyers can help as they are used to dealing with flying freeholds in Fenham. Conveyancing may be slightly more expensive based on your lender's requirements.

Am I best advised to appoint a Fenham conveyancing lawyer based in the vicinity that I am buying? We have a good friend who can conduct the legal formalities however they are based approximately 350kilometers away.

The primary upside of using a local Fenham conveyancing firm is that you can visit the firm to execute paperwork, deliver your identification documents and apply pressure on them where appropriate. Having local Fenham know how is a plus. However nothing is more important than finding someone that will pull out all the stops for you. If if people you trust used your friend and they were content that must trump using an unknown Fenham conveyancing lawyer just because they are Fenham based.

I've recently bought a leasehold property in Fenham. Do I have any liability for service charges relating to a period prior to completion of my purchase?

Where the service charge has already been demanded from the previous lessee and they have not paid you would not usually be personally liable for the arrears. However, your landlord may still be able to take action to forfeit the lease. It is an essential part of leasehold conveyancing for your conveyancer to ensure to have an up to date clear service charge receipt before completion of your purchase. If you have a mortgage this is likely to be a requirement of your lender.

If you purchase part way through an accounting year you may be liable for charges not yet demanded even if they relate to a period prior to your purchase. In such circumstances your conveyancer would normally arrange for the seller to set aside some money to cover their part of the period (usually called a service charge retention).

Leasehold Conveyancing in Fenham - Sample of Questions you should ask before Purchasing

This question is important as a) areas can result in problems for the block as the communal areas may begin to deteriorate where services are not paid for b) if the leasehold owners have an issue with the managing agents you will wish to have all the details How many years are left on the lease? How much is the yearly maintenance fee and ground rent?